


A Chosen's Love

by SabelTheWitch



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: F/M, Game Spoilers, Love Triangles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2018-12-30 12:32:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12108801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabelTheWitch/pseuds/SabelTheWitch
Summary: A young woman who traveled with Lloyd Irving and the others to help regenerate the world stops in Meltokio and visits Zelos Wilder. Upon seeing him again, she learns he has a fiance and it suddenly puts things into perspective for her. Can she bring herself to admit her feelings before it's too late? Takes place before Dawn of the New World but after the main game.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions. There will be spoilers in later chapters!
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Prologue

  
  Meilina Winters stretched and sat up, rubbing her emerald eyes as she looked around. It took her a moment to register she was at the Meltokio inn. She got out of bed, changing out of her pajamas and into her everyday wear, pulling on her cropped tan jacket and dark brown shorts, brushing her shoulder length black hair and tugging on the knee high lace up black boots and tying them before heading out to the front desk and paying for the room. She had intended to leave that morning, but it seemed fate had other plans for her.  
  
  She headed out of the inn and towards the front gate, pausing a few steps away before glancing to one of the daggers secured at her hip. They’d gotten rusty with wear and tear since she’d helped Lloyd Irving and the others reunite the worlds.  
  
  “I guess I’ll go check out the weapons shop before heading on my way,” she muttered to herself, turning on her heels and heading back up the wide staircase in the center of town towards said shop. As she went, she allowed herself to get lost in the memories of battles alongside her friends, wondering how they were since they’d gone their separate ways. Perhaps she’d stop and visit Zelos Wilder while she was in town.  
  
  A few steps from the top of the stairs and she collided with another body, stumbling back and nearly falling. A small thud was heard as the person she’d run into fell back, cursing under her breath. Meilina shook her head and looked towards the dark haired girl, offering her a hand.  
  
  “I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, but the other girl slapped it away and stood up, dusting off the extravagant black, white and red gown she was wearing. She was a little shorter than Meilina, her skin more sun kissed. Meilina imagined she was what most men would consider classically beautiful.  
  
  “You should be more careful,” she snapped, glaring at her with her dark blue eyes. Tossing her long locks over her shoulder, she turned away, storming off. Meilina made a face after her before she turned to continue on her way, mumbling a few choice words under her breath. 

*** * ***

  The item shop had little to offer in the way of daggers, but the customization options were quite extensive. She made a selection and decided to browse around town while they were being worked on. At first she headed towards the armor shop, but made a turn at the last moment and headed for the ritzy area instead, hoping she remembered where Zelos lived, and hoping he was home. She came to what she hoped was his house and knocked a couple times. A few moments passed before the door opened, an older gentleman in a suit and white gloves answering the door.  
  
  “Ah, Lady Meilina!” he greeted, inviting her in. She walked inside, looking around; the place seemed bigger than the last time she was there. “Master Wilder is in the den with a visitor. I shall let him know you’re here.”  
  
  Without another word, he was off, leaving Meilina alone in the main hall. She glanced around at the pictures decorating the walls, as well as the flowers, smiling a little. Though she wouldn’t exactly call it familiar, it felt welcoming. Before she could make it any further, however, she was greeted by a familiar voice.  
  
  “Hunny! It’s good to see you!” a young man with long, wavy red hair greeted, light blue eyes sparkling as he walked towards her with open arms. He stood several centimeters taller than her, so when he pulled her into a hug, her chin was level with his shoulder. She gave a little yelp when he squeezed her, blushing lightly as she was squished against his well toned chest.  
  
  “Hi, Zelos,” she squeaked as he released her. He gave her a brilliant grin.  
  
  “What brings you by?” he asked, and she gave a little shrug in response.  
  
  “I was in town and thought I would stop by. I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic while traveling and wondered how everyone is.”  
  
  He was about to respond when someone else walked into the hallway, long dark locks pinned back by a bright red bow.  
  
  “Zelos, what’s taking you so long?” she asked, then scowled when she spotted Meilina. “Oh. It’s _you_.”  
  
  “Ah. Alexia, this is my friend Meilina. Mei, this is Alexia, my fiancé,” Zelos introduced. Meilina paused, looking towards the woman she’d bumped into earlier, her head spinning a little. Had he just said fiancé? 


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions. There are spoilers for the end of the game in this chapter! 
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter One

  Meilina headed for the city gates, her head still reeling. She'd been in a daze since leaving Zelos' place, almost forgetting to go pick up her daggers. She had no idea what caused her confusion, but some part of her was saying to go back and confront Zelos about it. As she walked down the stairs in front of Meltokio's entrance, she was almost too distracted to notice the young woman she now knew as Alexia.  
  
  _What's she up to?_ Meilina wondered, watching her a moment, stopped in front of the open doors. The guards looked at her, puzzled, but she was focused on the black haired girl who seemed as though she was flirting with another man. Anger boiled inside her; what was this woman thinking?! She already had Zelos, why would she need to be cooing at this man?  
  
  This thought gave Meilina pause. Since when did she care? She'd watched Zelos flirt with so many women; it was just karma biting him back. Right? She shook it off and headed out the doors, the thought still gnawing at her mind. 

*** * ***

  A few days passed and Meilina found herself outside a House of Guidance. The sun was setting as she headed inside, stopping to offer a prayer before heading upstairs, hoping for a place to spend the night. The attendant informed her a bed would cost her 300 gald per night, and when she counted up what she had remaining from shopping in Meltokio; she was about seventy-nine gald short. She breathed out a sigh and headed back out after excusing herself.  
  
  “I’m gonna have to do some more jobs before I end up broke again...” she muttered to herself as she found a secluded place to set up her tent. As she set up a small fire, she started laughing to herself, imagining how Raine would probably lecture her about “frivolous spending.” When she finally got it going, she settled herself on the ground and gathered the ingredients for curry, putting them into a spare pot and setting it up over the fire.  
  
  When she finished her meal and stretched out to rest, the thoughts of Meltokio hit her once again. She couldn’t stop seeing Alexia cooing at whoever she’d been talking to, and the anger boiled inside her once again. She grumbled as she tried to find a more comfortable position in hopes it would stop the memories from hounding her. However, try as she might, they kept playing in her head as she fell asleep. 

*** * ***

  Meilina found herself waking up in Meltokio, though she had no memory of how she got there. She frowned and looked around, spotting Lloyd, Colette, Regal, Presea, Sebastian, Sheena, even Raine and Genis all dressed in their formalwear sitting amongst the high society members of Meltokio as well as the surrounding areas. She even spotted her friend Willow. They seemed to be in a church of some kind.  
  
  “What’s going on?” she muttered to the person sitting next to her. The blonde woman, who looked visibly upset, angrily shushed her and focused towards the front of the room. Meilina frowned and did the same, spotting Zelos standing up at the altar dressed extravagantly in a tux with his hair pulled back in a low braid, standing in front of a veiled woman wearing a lavish white gown. Her frown deepened as she watched the scene play out in front of her, the priest wedding the two figures. However, she couldn’t seem to make out what he was saying, until, “You may kiss the bride,” rang out loud and clear, seeming to echo off the walls. Meilina felt her stomach churn and her head went dizzy as she watched Zelos lift the bride’s veil and lean in to kiss her. She could only see the glint something green as she felt herself faint. 

*** * ***

  “Ah!” Meilina yelped as she sat up, her head still spinning from the dream. She squinted against the sun in her eyes, using one hand to shield them as she glanced around. Off in the distance, she could see a couple wolves chasing some gold beetles, who angrily bounced towards the canines before confusing themselves as they ran into the grass. She stood up and dusted herself off, gathering her things and throwing some dirt over the embers from her fire in case it was still hot before she headed off once more.  
  
  Not too long passed before she found herself sitting on a beach, her boots and socks taken off and sitting next to her on the sand as she let the waves wash over her toes. She had also discarded the cropped tan jacket she wore to let the cool breeze flow over her skin as she watched the seaspins swimming in the sea and the super stars on the beach. A sigh left her lips as she thought back to when she was journeying between worlds with her friends. She was starting to miss them, wondering how they were, each on their own journeys now. Lloyd and Colette had gone on a journey to get rid of all the exspheres, Genis and Raine were helping half-elves find acceptance, Regal and Presea had returned to Altamira, Kratos had gone with Derris-Kharlan and Sheena had been sent as an emissary of peace to Iselia. Willow was probably hanging out in Altamira as well, knowing how much she had crushed on Regal while traveling with them.  
  
  “I wonder when I’ll run into them again...” she whispered to herself, hugging her knees against her chest and resting her chin on them. After a few more minutes, she moved away from the water, tugging her boots back on and slinging her jacket over her shoulder, heading off in search of another town, one she could find some work at to earn some gald.  
  
  It wasn’t long before Meilina found herself standing at a dock, counting out some gald to catch a ride to the next continent. It wouldn’t be too long a voyage; her home town of Palmacosta was only a few days travel and she was sure she could find something there, even if she took her old job at the inn back up for a little while. As she handed over her money and was about to board the ship, she heard a familiar voice ring out from the beach, loud and clear.  
  
  “MEILINA!”  
  
  She looked over the edge of the docks to see a young woman, a few centimeters shorter than her, with long light brown hair, sun kissed skin and large blue eyes waving at her, a large scythe, that was many centimeters taller than she was, leaning against her, other arm looped around the handle. Meilina waved back, smiling, hurrying back down the dock to go greet her.  
  
  “Willow, what are you doing here?” she asked as she reached her. The younger girl grinned and held up a package she pulled from a bag at her waist.  
  
  “I’m here on assignment from Sybak, supposed to deliver this to the inn in Meltokio. Wanna come with me? We can visit Zelos while we’re there, he’s supposed to be home,” she replied, tucking the item back in her bag and linking arms with Meilina, leading her off before she had time to protest. 

*** * ***

  Sometime later, Meilina and Willow had to stop and set up camp. As Willow worked on setting up the fire, Meilina went through the ingredients she had left, contemplating on what to make for dinner. She found some rice and cheese, pulling it from the bag and preparing it.  
  
  “How’s risotto sound for tonight?” she asked Willow, who had finally gotten the fire started.  
  
  “Sounds good, but you’ll have to cook. I’ve never been very good at it,” she replied. Meilina nodded, remembering the time Willow had made ramen and burnt the noodles.  
  
  “Right.”  
  
  As she made dinner, Willow sat across from her, working on polishing the blade on her scythe. She glanced towards Meilina’s daggers.  
  
  “Those look new, have you been shopping?” she asked. Meilina shook her head.  
  
  “No, I went and got them customized a few days ago, the shop I looked at didn’t have the greatest selection. The blades were getting chipped and rusty from being used. I’ve done a couple monster hunting jobs since we all went our separate ways,” she told her, stirring the cheese into the rice. Willow nodded, setting aside the scythe and placing the blade polish back into her pack.  
  
  “I’ve been doing deliveries for different places. I tried to get hired on at the Lezareno Company in Altamira, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to... after they caught me daydreaming one too many times,” she muttered, a light blush tinting her cheeks. Meilina laughed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she did.  
  
  “Working with Regal proved to be too much for you, huh?” she asked. Willow ignored the question as she shifted to a more comfortable sitting position.  
  
  “So, which shop did you check out? I need to get my scythe fixed up,” she told her.  
  
  “I was by Meltokio, so I stopped in and did a little bit of shopping,” Meilina replied, avoiding eye contact. She almost knew what the next question would be; Willow would want to know if she saw Zelos while she was there. Sure enough, she asked.  
  
  “I saw him, yeah. He was home so I stopped in to visit him while my daggers were being worked on. He’s well, if you’re wondering,” she informed her. Willow nodded and gave her a sly smile.  
  
  “So... did you tell him about your crush yet?” she asked. 


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.  
> To be continued in Chapter Three soon! 
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ethan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Two

  “What are you talking about?! I don’t have a crush on Zelos!” Meilina exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stared at Willow. Willow rolled her eyes and nodded sarcastically, making a small, “Mhm,” sound as Meilina handed her a helping of risotto.   
  
  “Sure you don’t, just like I don’t have a crush on Regal,” she muttered to herself. Meilina ignored the comment, serving herself some food as well. The two ate in silence for several minutes before Willow finally spoke.   
  
  “So, have you been back home to see anyone since the worlds were reunited?” she asked, glancing towards Meilina. She shook her head as she took another bite of the risotto.   
  
  “No, I haven’t. Not really anyone to see back home, after all. Plus, they’re still working on rebuilding.”   
  
  Willow looked thoughtful for a moment.   
  
  “I heard they were almost done with that?” she inquired, to which Meilina responded with a noncommittal shrug.   
  
  “Have you been to visit your sister in Asgard?” she asked. Willow nodded a little.   
  
  “Yes, I saw her and my nephew just a few weeks ago. He’s growing up so fast, the last time I saw him he still called me ‘Annie Will Woe.’ Now he’s running around telling me how all his friends want to meet his auntie and her friends who changed the world,” she told her with a little smile. Meilina felt a smile tug at her lips as well.   
  
  “Sounds nice,” she replied. The two chatted for a bit longer before going to sleep for the night. 

*** * ***

  The next morning, the two were up bright and early, gathering their things and cleaning up their campsite before continuing on their way to Meltokio. A few hours passed before the city was visible in the distance. Meilina felt herself starting to get anxious; she didn’t want to run into Zelos’ fiancé again, and she wasn’t sure she was looking forward to seeing Zelos again so soon either.   
  
  “Ah, there it is! I feel like I haven’t seen this place in months!” Willow exclaimed, heading towards the city. Meilina trailed behind a little before hurrying to catch up.   
  
  Before long, the pair walked through the city gates, Willow heading to the inn to make her delivery. Meilina opted to wait outside for her, heading towards the item shop. While she couldn’t afford anything from there, perhaps they would have a job she could pick up to earn some income. As she moved to walk inside the building, the door swung open and knocked her back, causing her to fall on her butt.   
  
  “Ouch!” she yelped as she hit, standing up and looking to see who had thrown the door open so violently. She paled when she saw the woman standing there, long hair falling in dark curls around her shoulders, blue eyes piercing.   
  
  “Oh, Martel, not you...” she muttered, frowning as the woman glared at her.   
  
  “What are _you_ doing here again?” she spat, casting her an angry sneer. Meilina dusted herself off, intent on ignoring the woman before her, when she heard another familiar voice calling out.   
  
  “Hunny, there you are!”   
  
  _I knew I should have stayed by the gates_ , Meilina thought to herself as she moved to get into the item shop while Alexia ran over to Zelos. She threw herself into his arms and looked up at him with sad eyes.   
  
  “Oh, Zelos! I’m so glad you’re here! This friend of yours, she was so-so-” She paused and sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. “So mean to me just now!”   
  
  She continued to sniffle and dab her eyes as she looked over towards Meilina.   
  
  “Now, now, settle down. I’m sure Mei meant nothing by it,” he told Alexia in an effort to comfort her. Meilina caught Alexia glancing her way and she would have sworn she smirked at her. Meilina rolled her eyes and went into the item shop, ignoring the pair.   
  
  A few minutes passed by before someone else came into the shop, walking up to Meilina.   
  
  “Was that Zelos just now?” she asked. Meilina nodded and Willow frowned. “Who was the woman? His newest fling or something?”   
  
  Meilina laughed humorlessly and shook her head a bit.   
  
  “I guess you could say that, sort of. Turns out she’s his fiancé.”   
  
  “What?! Zelos is getting _married_?!” Willow exclaimed. Meilina nodded slightly. “Wow, that’s completely unexpected.”   
  
  Again, Meilina nodded, a frown forming on her face as she turned away from Willow and walked up to the counter to see if there were any jobs available she could pick up. 

*** * ***

  That evening, Willow offered to pay the fare for them to stay at the inn, though Meilina was insistent she needed to be on her way. In the end, the pair split up, Willow opting to stay at the inn while Meilina went on her way. As Meilina stared up at the stars that night, she once again couldn’t shake thoughts of Alexia and Zelos together. She kept imagining Alexia and Zelos cooing and flirting with one another, and it caused the anger to stir up inside her. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, and before she knew it she was up and pacing.   
  
  “What does he even see in that woman?” she asked herself, frowning. She recalled how Alexia had acted when she had hit her with the door, then how she had turned it around when she saw Zelos, acting as if she’d been the one knocked down. The frustration continued to grow and she continued pacing. Before she knew it, she had exhausted herself and she sat down on the ground, letting herself fall back to once again stare up. Her eyelids were heavy, but she couldn’t manage to get to sleep.   
  
  Soon, the sky was blushed pink and orange with the rising sun and Meilina found herself on the way back to the city gates. She had to confront Alexia, to make Zelos see that she was manipulating him, something. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Willow’s words about her having a crush on Zelos were nagging at her.   
  
  When she arrived at the city gates, the sun had already risen, the sky a bright blue. As she walked through the gates, she paused. Alexia was standing by the inn, chatting with the same man she had seen her with days before. He was tall and well built, easily several centimeters taller than Zelos was, and everything about him, from the bit of freckles dotting his cheeks to his honey golden skin tone, implied he spent a lot of time outside in the sun. His medium brown hair hung slightly in his hazel eyes, eyes that certainly seemed to be interested in the woman before him. She moved to walk around the corner, stopping once she was out of sight and pressing her back against the wall, listening.   
  
  “That friend of his came by again,” she heard Alexia tell him. Her eyes narrowed slightly; was she referring to her?   
  
  “I’m sure they’re just friends. Besides, you’re already engaged to him so everything will be fine. You’re worrying about nothing, Lexi,” he insisted. She heard Alexia stomp her foot and growl before she retorted.   
  
  “That’s not good enough, Ewan! They traveled the world together, and he’s mentioned her more than once! Plus, he has a nickname for her!”   
  
  “Yeah, and he has one for you too,” she heard the man – Ewan – reply.   
  
  “That’s different and you know it. He calls all the girls ‘hunny.’ I have to keep his focus on me, not on her!” Alexia snapped. Meilina listened for a few more minutes before the pair said their goodbyes. She heard footsteps coming her way and hurried to duck out of sight, but she was too slow.   
  
  “Hey, do I know you from somewhere?” she heard Ewan ask as she stopped. She laughed it off and turned around slowly.   
  
  “No, I don’t think so,” she replied, before turning to leave again. She only made it a few steps, however, before he spoke again.   
  
  “You’re the girl Lexi was talking about just now, aren’t you?”   
  
  Meilina felt her blood run cold as she froze. Did he know she’d been eavesdropping on them? 


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! The long awaited (?) chapter three!  
> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.  
> To be continued in Chapter Four soon! 
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ethan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Three

  Meilina slowly looked over her shoulder towards Ewan. She considered playing dumb, as though she had no idea what he was talking about, but she also knew she’d been caught in the act. She turned around to face him, the action making her dizzy from her lack of sleep.  
  
  “Who’s Lexi?” she asked, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs forming in her brain while attempting to play innocent still. He smirked and shook his head, walking up to her. She gulped and stepped back; up close he was somewhat intimidating.  
  
  “Don’t try to play dumb with me... Meilina, was it?” he responded. She didn’t reply and his smirk turned into a sneer. “I know you were listening in, and I know you’re after Zelos. Whether you admit it or not, it’s written all over your face when you’re near him that you’ve got feelings for him.”  
  
  His statement caused a ball of anger to form in her chest and her courage started coming back to her as she narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
  “You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re just as demented as she is! I don’t have any feelings for Zelos beyond friendship!” she snapped. Her response did nothing, however, except make him laugh.  
  
  “You’re only fooling yourself.” He turned and walked away at this, leaving Meilina scowling after him. At this point, Willow stepped into view, looking after him.  
  
  “Who was that? He was kinda cute,” she told her, looking excited. Meilina rubbed her eyes and shook her head.  
  
  “He’s friends with Zelos’ fiancé. Apparently both of them think I’m after Zelos and they won’t believe I only want him as a friend,” she explained. Willow looked after him a moment longer before turning back to Meilina, opening her mouth to speak, but instead she shook her head.  
  
  “So, what brought you back to Meltokio?” she asked finally. 

*** * ***

  Some time later, Meilina found herself knocking on the door to Zelos’ mansion. Once again the older gentleman answered the door, his brown hair slicked back and his mustache neatly trimmed.  
  
  “Ah, Lady Meilina; please come in, Master Wilder is in the den. I will take you to him,” he told her. She nodded, following him as he led her down the hallway. It wasn’t long before he ushered her through a door down the hall into a grand room with several comfortable chairs and a coffee table set in the middle of them, a tea set placed upon it. Zelos was lounging on one of the several sofas, one arm stretched across the back, sipping from one of the tea cups. He looked up when he heard the door open, eyes meeting Meilina’s, and he seemed to immediately perk up.  
  
  “Hunny!” he exclaimed, getting up and walking over to her, pulling her into a hug. She blushed a bright pink again as he squeezed her against him as he had days before. Part of her wanted to relax into it, but she ignored it and pulled away from him, clearing her throat.  
  
  “Hi, Zelos.”  
  
  He grinned at her before guiding her over to the sofa to sit with him. She took a seat and he offered her a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted.  
  
  “So what brings you by?” he asked, resuming his comfortable pose next to her. She gave a little shrug. Some part of her wanted to tell him about the earlier conversation she’d overheard between Ewan and Alexia, but she didn’t want to explain the reasoning behind it.  
  
  “Just happened to be in the area again and felt like visiting one of my closest friends,” she replied after mulling it over for a minute, then taking a long sip of tea. His lips twitched down slightly when she told him this, but it was only for a moment.  
  
  “Well, I’m glad you stopped by. I was beginning to get bored with the same routine every day,” he told her. She glanced over at him for a moment before setting her tea cup back on the table. Silence fell between them and she took a moment to look him over when he glanced away. He definitely was handsome, she couldn’t deny that. From his luxurious red locks to his bright blue eyes to his toned physique, everything about him was pleasing to the eye. She hurried to push the thought out of her mind when he looked towards her again, and she felt herself blushing. He chuckled lightly and shifted his arm so it was behind her head, leaning a little closer.  
  
  “See something you like?” he teased and she nearly choked on the sip of tea she had just taken.  
  
  “Wh-what?!” she exclaimed, her face turning red. She turned away from him, turning back to say something, only to find him leaning in closer with a grin across his face. A yelp escaped her as she leaned back a little, and he laughed as he returned to his former position. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing.  
  
  “S-so what if I do?” she muttered, immediately catching his attention. He slid one hand under her chin, gently guiding her face to look at him.  
  
  “Do you?” he asked. She blushed again, averting her gaze.  
  
  “I-I do...” she whispered, glancing back towards him to find him staring at her with a serious look. She found she couldn’t break eye contact as he slowly leaned closer to her. When he was only a few centimeters away from her, they heard the door open and Sebastian announce himself.  
  
  “Master Wilder, Lady Alexia is here to see you. Shall I send her in?” he inquired, making no comment on the scene before him. Zelos sighed to himself and leaned away from Meilina, nodding to Sebastian.  
  
  “Sure.”  
  
  Meilina blushed and made a quick excuse to leave, passing Alexia in the hall as she did. Alexia cast her a dark glare before continuing on her way. Meilina didn’t care, however; some part of her was giddy from the experience. 

*** * ***

  “What do you mean, you nearly kissed?!” Willow exclaimed as Meilina told her about the events that had transpired. Meilina blushed and hid behind the mug she was drinking from before replying.  
  
  “I mean, something happened. I was visiting with him and I noticed how... handsome he is and... it kind of slipped out when I told him, and the next thing I know...” she muttered, avoiding the younger girl’s gaze. She jumped when Willow gave a squeal of delight, grinning.  
  
  “It’s finally happening! You’ve admitted you like Zelos!” she cried, and Meilina hurried to shush her.  
  
  “Don’t shout things like that! He’s engaged, remember?” she whispered, and Willow put a finger to her lips, but continued giggling.  
  
  “Still. I always knew it was gonna happen!” she responded. Meilina sighed a little; she could no longer deny that she had feelings for the goofy redhead. Unbeknownst to the two girls, however, a tall figure was sitting at the next table, listening.  
  
  _Lexi will certainly want to hear this_ , he thought, drumming his fingers against the table as Willow continued to tease Meilina about her near kiss with Zelos. 


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.  
> To be continued in Chapter Five soon!
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ethan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Four

  “What do you mean you overheard her say she nearly kissed him?!” Alexia demanded, voice shrill as she stared up at Ewan. He nodded, a frown on his face.  
  
  “I heard them loud and clear. It seems he’s not as focused on you as I thought,” he responded. She growled with frustration.  
  
  “If I let her get any closer to him, it’s all done for!” She stomped her foot down as she yelled, eyes narrowed. Ewan crossed his arms, looking thoughtful.  
  
  “We need to figure out something to keep her away from him until after the wedding,” he muttered. Alexia started to pace back and forth, the fancy black and red heels she wore clicking on the stone path. A frown formed on her lips and she scowled, unable to come up with a plan.  
  
  “Anything we do will make her suspicious. We can’t very well walk up to her and order her to leave.”  
  
  The two continued to think, bouncing ideas back and forth before Alexia paused, smirking and turning to face Ewan.  
  
  “I’ve got it.” 

*** * ***

  Meilina browsed the item shop, scanning over the different flavored gels and different bottles of potions. She would definitely need some when she went adventuring again, though she was still sorely lacking gald, and Willow had to leave back to Sybak to get her next delivery. A sigh slipped past her lips and she turned to leave, mumbling about how she needed to learn to manage her money better.  
  
  “I’m positive Raine would give me a lecture at this point,” she muttered as the door closed behind her. She turned, heading back towards the town gate, when she bumped into a familiar pink and black clad chest, a noise of surprise escaping her lips.  
  
  “What was that about Raine lecturing you?” he asked, smirking as he steadied her, hands resting on her shoulders. She gave a short, humorless laugh as she looked away.  
  
  “Well... I kinda spent all my gald and haven’t been able to find something to earn any the past couple weeks,” she muttered, glancing his way in hopes he hadn’t heard her. However, he had a thoughtful look on his face, his hand on his chin.  
  
  “Hm... Well, you could always stay with me until you get something figured out,” he told her with a playful grin. She sighed and thought about it for a minute, then nodded.  
  
  “Alright. I really appreciate it,” she told him finally. His grin became more genuine and he looped one arm around her shoulders, guiding her back towards the mansion.  
  
  “Then let’s go get you set up in a room!” he exclaimed.  
  
  Not much time passed before he was guiding her inside and up the stairs to the guest room that was right next to his bedroom. She thanked him and went to check out the room, but he stopped her before she could go in.  
  
  “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask Sebastian about it. And if you have a nightmare or anything, you’re more than welcome to come in and curl up with me,” he told her, tone lighthearted and teasing. She laughed softly and gave a little nod.  
  
  “I’ll remember that,” she told him before heading into the room and looking around. She set her bag down next to the bed and walked over to the window, pulling the delicate white curtains aside and peering out. It looked out over an extravagant garden with a little iron table and chairs in the center, each piece painted white. There were flowers of all different kinds that she could see and they drew her in. She wanted to go out and take a closer look, but instead she headed back out, intent on visiting the other shops in town to see if they had anything to offer in the way of odd jobs. 

*** * ***

  “So there’s nothing?” Meilina asked, frowning as she looked to the weapons shop keeper. “Not even an apprenticeship for customizing?”  
  
  The shopkeeper shook his head, as did the weapons crafter when she looked to him. She sighed and bid them farewell, exiting the shop. She went to head to the armor shop once again, but stopped and glanced towards the Coliseum. Maybe she could find something there. A moment later, she found herself standing in the entrance, looking around. The lady at the desk was watching her expectantly as she approached.  
  
  “Hi there. I was wondering if you needed any help around here?” she asked, feeling almost pessimistic based on her prior experience. However, the woman grinned and nodded to her.  
  
  “Yes, we do! We’re actually looking for someone to work here at the main desk a few days every week,” she replied cheerfully. Meilina exhaled, not aware she’d been holding her breath.  
  
  “Oh, sure, I can do that!” she responded. The woman took down her information and asked her a few questions, grinning and saying she would let her know soon when they needed her before Meilina left.  
  
_I think I found something a bit more permanent_ , she thought as she went. She headed back to Zelos’ mansion, knocking and waiting for Sebastian to open the door.  
  
  “Miss Meilina, while you are staying here, there is no need to knock when you arrive,” he informed her, holding the door open for her. She blushed a little, nodding; it seemed strange to her to just walk into Zelos’ home unannounced.  
  
  “Master Wilder is in the den, he requested I have you go and greet him when you returned.”  
  
  She nodded and headed down the hallway, knocking on the door to the den when she reached it. She heard him call for her to come in and pushed open the door. She walked in to find him lounging on one of the sofas again, arm draped over the back as he’d been the last time. He smiled and motioned her over to sit next to him, to which she happily obliged.  
  
  “What’s going on?” she asked when she sat down. He let his arm drape around behind her and moved a little closer.  
  
  “I just thought you might like to pick up where we left off before we were interrupted yesterday,” he told her. She looked towards him, realizing how close he was, and her cheeks started to burn.  
  
  “Uh-uhm, wh-what do you mean?” she stuttered, looking away in an effort to hide her blush. His gloved fingers slid under her chin and gently turned her to face.  
  
  “I meant this,” he responded, leaning in close to her. She felt her heart skip a bit as her eyelids fluttered closed. 


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions. Minor game spoilers ahead!
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Five

  Meilina felt her heart beat faster as she could feel his fingers ghost across her cheek, his breath fluttering across her lips. She stilled for a moment before she felt his lips brush hers, almost timidly. She moved to reciprocate, but then paused and pushed him back softly.  
  
  “Zelos...” she murmured, shaking her head. “We can’t do this...” She opened her eyes slowly and looked to him, frowning when he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I don’t want to interfere with your-” She was cut off, her eyes widening as he pulled her into a tight hug, leaning his chin on her shoulder.  
  
  “It’s not by choice, Mei... I don’t have those kinds of feelings for Alexia...”  
  
  She pulled back from the hug and looked to him, still surprised.  
  
  “What do you mean?” she asked after she was able to compose herself enough. He sighed and shook his head, moving his hand to the back of her neck and tugging her gently forward, connecting his lips to hers, blue eyes sliding shut. A thrill stirred through her, and her cheeks burned as she felt herself relax into it, her eyes closing as well. A moment later, it was over and he drew back from her, his fingers grazing her cheek gently again.  
  
  “That’s what I mean,” he whispered. 

*** * ***

  The next couple of days passed by relatively quietly, Meilina continuing to check around town for any odd jobs she could do while waiting to hear from the girl at the Coliseum. As she was heading back to Zelos’ after another unsuccessful attempt, she paused when she saw Alexia standing outside talking to Zelos. She looked teary-eyed as she stared up at Zelos, seeming to be pleading with him. Meilina moved closer in an attempt to hear what was going on, but as she did, she was met with a tall, muscular figure.  
  
  “I think you should probably let them talk,” Ewan told her, his arms crossed. She cast a glare up at him and moved to brush past him, but he continued to block her way.  
  
  “Get out of my way,” she warned, moving once more to go around him. As she went to pass by, however, he grabbed her shoulder.  
  
  “I said you should let them talk,” he growled. She narrowed her eyes and swung her elbow back as hard as she could, nailing him square in the chest. The hit was enough to knock him off balance enough that she could rush by, making a beeline towards Zelos’ mansion. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she’d noticed the hit only stalled him for a moment and he was already after her. A small part of her told her to call out to Zelos, but she ignored it, stopping and facing Ewan, drawing out both daggers and brandishing them in front of her.  
  
  “You think you can stand up to me alone?” he asked. She smirked.  
  
  “I could stand up to you blindfolded. I’m certain you’re all bark and no bite,” she replied. Ewan gave a short laugh and moved towards her, tugging one glove tighter into place. As he flexed his fingers, a short blade sprang forth.  
  
  “We’ll see how far you make it, little girl,” he replied. 

*** * ***

  Meanwhile, Alexia was still sobbing and pleading with Zelos. She looked up at him with watery eyes.  
  
  “I-I’m serious, Zelos,” she whimpered, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “She r-really told that friend of hers that-”  
  
  She was cut off by a loud crash, followed by a yelp of pain. Both of them turned in the direction it had come from, seeing Meilina holding her side as she stood up after crashing into a wall. A flower pot lay shattered next to her. She took a moment to regain her balance, one dagger brandished in front of her for defense, the other sheathed at her side. Ewan smirked, wiping blood from a fresh cut on his cheek before stalking towards her. Alexia opened her mouth to speak, hoping to distract Zelos once again, but he had already dashed over in front of Meilina, sword drawn.  
  
  “How dare you?!” he snapped at Ewan, eyes narrowed. Ewan cast a look towards Alexia before glaring towards Zelos and turning to leave. Zelos kept his guard up until he was out of sight, choosing to keep guard on Meilina over chasing after him. As soon as he was out of sight, Zelos turned to face her.  
  
  “I could have handled it,” she muttered, hand still clasped to her side while the other put her dagger away. “He just caught me off guard for a second.” She took a slightly wobbly step forward, pausing long enough to make sure she was steady before heading towards the mansion. He watched her for a moment before scooping her up, one arm under her knees, the other against her back.  
  
  “H-hey! I’ve really got it...” she muttered, blushing softly, but he shook his head.  
  
  “You’re injured. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t help a lady in distress?” he replied, carrying her inside despite her protests and setting her carefully on one of the chairs in the hall. “Wait here just a moment, I’ll be right back.”  
  
  With that, he disappeared back outside to finish talking with Alexia, only to find she was no longer there. 

*** * ***

  “I can’t believe it! He brushed me off to save her!” Alexia exclaimed as Ewan joined her by the inn. He frowned and gave a little nod.  
  
  “I tried to keep her away. That story you came up with should have convinced him she wasn’t worth his time.”  
  
  “I wasn’t the one who distracted him from what I was saying!” she snapped, glaring at him. He narrowed his eyes a little.  
  
  “She took me by surprise; she’s tougher than she looks, so I had to find a way to immobilize her. I didn’t expect him to rush to her side like that.”  
  
  Alexia growled in frustration and started to pace.  
  
  “I told you they were more than just friends! If I let them get any closer than they are, there won’t be any hope left! He’ll never marry me at this rate!” she exclaimed, stopping and crossing her arms.  
  
  “Then leave her to me. You won’t seem suspicious that way and you can still convince him she’s worthless to him.”  
  
  “You had better hold up your end in all this!” she warned, casting him an angry look. 

*** * ***

  Back at the mansion, Meilina was tending to her injury from the fight. She was certain her spine was bruised, and there was an angry gash on her side from the broken flower pot. It had been easy enough to ignore most of the sting with the adrenaline running through her, but now she definitely felt it. She carefully applied an antibiotic gel to it before bandaging it, frowning at her reflection as she realized her clothes left the bandage visible.  
  
  “I wonder if I have something I can wear to cover this up...” she muttered to herself, moving to look through her bag. The only thing she could find that would cover the wound well enough was her formal clothes she’d worn to the dinner party held after Zelos had rescued Princess Hilda. She held up the frilly white blouse, frowning slightly before shedding the jacket and top she was wearing and tugging it on. She buttoned it up and looked herself over in the mirror once more. It clashed a little with the shorts and boots she was wearing, but it would have to do until she was able to find something else.  
  
  “I suppose it doesn’t look terrible,” she told herself after a moment. She tucked the other clothes away to wash them when she had the opportunity; she was still uncomfortable asking others to do it for her.  
  
  She left the room, walking down the stairs a little stiffly, pausing when she saw Zelos standing at the bottom.  
  
  “There you are. I was just about to come and check on you,” he told her. She gave him a little half smile as she reached the bottom.  
  
  “Thanks for your help earlier,” she told him. He nodded, offering her his hand.  
  
  “Come on. I want to show you something in the garden,” he told her. She nodded, following after him. 


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.  
> There are spoilers for Zelos' story in this chapter!  
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Six

  Zelos led Meilina to the garden, where the iron table was fitted with a lacy table cloth, a meal of miso stew and freshly brewed tea set up with candles lit in the center of the table. She glanced to Zelos and raised an eyebrow, to which he responded by leading her over to the table.   
  
  “Have a seat,” he offered, holding out her chair for her. She sat down, careful of her injuries, as he pushed her chair in for her. He then took his seat opposite from her.   
  
  “This looks great,” she told him, smiling. He grinned back to her.   
  
  “I’m glad you like it,” he replied. The pair began eating their dinner, chatting as they did. Once they were finished, one of the maids came to clear the dishes and Zelos held out a hand to Meilina. She accepted, following him deeper into the garden. By now the sun had started to set and the flowers were bathed in a warm, red orange hue. He led her to a bench, inviting her to have a seat with him. A few moments passed in silence before she looked to him curiously.   
  
  “So... if you aren’t in love with Alexia, why are you engaged to her?” she asked. He frowned.   
  
  “For the same reason my parents got together. We were forced together by Cruxis a long time ago. When I met her, she seemed friendly enough, but we didn’t connect on any level. We had to be together though; there was no other choice. It seems while I was on that journey with you and the others, she got used to the idea of being high class,” he told her. Meilina frowned now.   
  
  “Cruxis was destroyed, so why are you two still together?” she pressed. He didn’t meet her gaze.   
  
  “That’s not exactly the easiest thing to do...” he told her. She remained silent for a moment, thinking. Then it hit her.   
  
  “You were scared, weren’t you?” she asked softly. He still didn’t look to her, not responding in any way. “After all that happened back then... I’m sorry.”   
  
  She waited a moment for a response, but when she didn’t receive one, she got up to leave. Before she could however, she felt something tug at the back of her shirt. She turned to see he had a hold of her, still looking towards the ground.   
  
  “Yes...” he whispered. 

*** * ***

  Meilina lay awake in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. She kept thinking back to the times she and Zelos had spent together, from when they first met to when the journey had ended.   
  
  “I wonder when we got as close as we are,” she asked herself, thinking back on certain moments. Her first impressions of him hadn’t been the best; he’d been surrounded by floozies and had tried to flirt with her, Willow, Raine and Colette. It wasn’t until Gaoracchia Forest that she had really seen him as a friend. In the low lighting, she had become tangled up in a patch of vines and tripped. As a result, she’d twisted her ankle, and he had helped her the rest of the way through the forest.   
  
  “When did I start feeling like this towards him?” she muttered, turning over on her side and staring out the window. On the dresser next to it, she saw her daggers, glinting in the moonlight. A small smile curved her lips as she closed her eyes, dreaming of how she’d gotten them. 

*** * ***

_Meilina walked along the pathway in Flanoir, tugging the cloak around her tighter to keep out the cold wind. A shiver ran through her as it fluttered her hair against her neck and she ducked around a corner to try and get away from it. As she did, she caught sight of a familiar figure._   
  
_“Zelos? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay at the inn,” she exclaimed. He was leaned against a wall, looking lost in thought before he turned to face her._   
  
_“Mei?” he responded. She waved a little._   
  
_“Hey. I was just going to check out the weapons shop to see what they had in stock. My blades are getting a little rusty, so I think it’s time I replaced them. Since we’re stuck here for the night...” She shrugged a bit. He smirked and walked over to her._   
  
_“Well, I can’t let a lady wander around by herself. How about I accompany you?” He offered her his arm and she smiled, looping her own through his as they walked off side by side._  
  
_It wasn’t long before the item shop came into view. They approached the door, Zelos pushing it open and allowing Meilina to go inside first. She smiled as she walked past him, waiting just by the door for him to join her. The pair chatted as they browsed the items in the shop, not finding much that interested either of them. That is, until Meilina paused, admiring a case._   
  
_“Wow...” she whispered, walking up to it. It held a pair of daggers with shining steel blades and elegantly engraved handles. The blades were a bit on the longer side, with two small jewels embedded at the bottom of the handle. “They’re so pretty...”_  
  
_Her eyes lowered down to look at the price and she frowned; they were well out of her price range. Zelos stood behind her, watching her reaction. She turned away from them, putting on a smile._   
  
_“I don’t see anything that looks good here, let’s head back,” she told him, moving towards the door. He nodded and followed her, both heading back to the inn._  
  
_The next morning, there was a wrapped box with a bow on her bed. Inside had been the daggers from the case with a note attached. She read it, smiling._   
  
_“Meilina,_   
  
_I saw you looking at these the other day, and thought you needed something nice to wake up to. So I went and picked these up for you. Maybe next time you can return the favor?_   
  
_~Zelos”_

*** * ***

  Meilina woke up the next morning, stretching a little and getting out of the bed. The stiffness in her back felt better, but it was still tender. She walked over to the mirror, carefully changing her bandages on the cut. Once she’d finished, she changed her clothes and headed down the stairs. She didn’t see Zelos or Sebastian anywhere, so she left the mansion and started wandering around town. When she reached the gates, she paused upon seeing a familiar figure. His long, blue hair was pinned back and he was dressed to the nines. He stood several centimeters taller than her, and his frame was well muscled. She walked over to him.   
  
  “Regal! What are you doing here?” she greeted, smiling. He looked towards her, nodding in acknowledgement.   
  
  “Hello, Meilina. I have business with the royal family, so I’m staying here at the inn for the night,” he told her. She gave a small nod.   
  
  “It’s good to see you again. How have things been going in Altamira?” she inquired, walking with him to the inn. He held open the door as they walked in.   
  
  “They’ve been going well. That’s actually part of the reason I’m here to see the King.”   
  
  Meilina nodded, chatting with him a bit longer before the two split off. When she was back outside, she headed for the item shop. As she went to go in, she was stopped by a familiar voice.   
  
  “Mei! Hang on!” Willow called, running up to her. Meilina turned around, surprised to find the younger girl there.   
  
  “Oh, hi!” she replied, smiling, wincing as her friend hugged her.   
  
  “I’m on another delivery, I’m supposed to bring something to this big meeting with the royal family and a businessman,” Willow told her, showing her the envelope in the bag at her waist.   
  
  “Oh, that must be for the meeting Regal’s in town for,” Meilina muttered to herself. Willow immediately perked up.   
  
  “Regal’s in town?” she asked. 


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.   
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs  
> Minor game spoilers ahead!

## Chapter Seven

  Meilina frowned as she realized Willow had heard what she’d said. She quickly shook her head.   
  
  “N-no, that’s not what I said at all!” she exclaimed. Willow raised an eyebrow at her.   
  
  “It certainly sounded like it,” she muttered. Meilina laughed a little, then quickly changed the subject.   
  
  “So, a lot’s changed since you were here the last time,” she told her. The pair walked towards the nearest cafe, ordering drinks and getting a table.   
  
  “Tell me what’s been going on?” Willow asked, sipping on her hot cocoa. Meilina looked thoughtful for a moment as she decided on what to tell her.   
  
  “Well, I found a steady income at the Coliseum, as soon as I hear back from them. Which means I’ll probably eventually move here officially,” she finally told her, sipping her tea. Willow nodded, grinning.   
  
  “Means you can stay near Zelos,” she teased, causing Meilina to blush.   
  
  “Er...well... yeah...” she muttered, avoiding her gaze. Willow raised her eyebrow again, then her grin turned into a smirk as she leaned a little forward.   
  
  “Oh, what’s this? Is that perhaps the reason why you found something here instead of leaving?” she teased. Meilina laughed nervously, shaking her head.   
  
  “That wasn’t actually why. What happened was, I was looking for some little odd jobs to do around here, and Zelos found out I didn’t really have a place to stay so-”   
  
  Willow cut her off with a yelp of surprise.   
  
  “You’re staying with Zelos?!” she exclaimed, nearly jumping from her seat. The hot cocoa mug wobbled a little, some of the contents splashing over the edge.   
  
  “Shush!” Meilina exclaimed, waving her hand to try and get her to calm down. She glanced around for a moment, then nodded. Willow giggled and went to pick up her drink, blinking when she felt the side of the mug was slightly wet and sticky.   
  
  “Huh?” She picked up the mug and frowned. “Aww, some of the whipped cream spilled off...”   
  
  Meilina sipped her tea again, then continued filling Willow in on the events that had happened since the two had last seen one another. She made sure to skip telling her about the fight that had occurred the previous day, however.   
  
  “So, wait. You’re telling me you’re not only living with him, but you kissed?!” Willow exclaimed in an excited whisper. Meilina nodded.   
  
  “Yes. But don’t mention it to anyone, okay?” she replied, frowning. Willow nodded, making a crossing motion over her heart.   
  
  “My lips are sealed,” she promised. The two continued chatting over their drinks, heading out of the café once they’d finished.   
  
  “Hey, I still need to drop this off at the castle, want to come with?” Willow asked, motioning to the bag she was wearing. Meilina nodded.   
  
  “Yeah, sure. I need to head up that way anyway,” she replied. They headed up the stairs, Willow stopping her after a moment.   
  
  “Mei... what’s going on?” she asked, nodding towards her shirt. Meilina looked down and swore; there was a small spot of red standing out brightly against the red fabric.   
  
  “Well, you see...” she muttered. She knew her best friend was going to be mad when she told her. “Yesterday, while I was heading back to Zelos’...” she started, telling her the story of what had happened, about the injury and how she’d gotten. Willow narrowed her eyes.   
  
  “What?!” she snapped. “How dare he!? Oh, if I see him....”   
  
  Meilina motioned with her hand to shush her again, noting the people looking their way. After a moment, Willow had calmed down, but her eyes were still narrowed.   
  
  “It’s okay, really,” Meilina assured her. Willow sighed, but nodded.   
  
  “Alright. But still, if I see him, I can’t be held accountable if I trip him,” she muttered, before continuing on her way. Meilina laughed and followed her. 

*** * ***

  After the two had parted, Meilina headed towards Zelos’ mansion. She needed to change her bandage and the shirt she was wearing, plus get the rest of her clothes cleaned. When she was arrived, part of her was pleased that Zelos didn’t seem to be home. She took off the shirt she was wearing, then peeled off the bandages and looked at the wound. It wasn’t as angry as it had been before, and it was mostly superficial. She carefully applied new bandages, keeping them simple before pulling on one of the tops in her bag, tying it and grabbing the laundry she needed to clean.   
  
  “Now then...where’s the laundry?” she muttered to herself, bringing the clothes down the stairs. After a few attempts, she found the correct room, heading inside. There were a couple maids in there working on other laundry, and one looked up when she heard Meilina enter the room.   
  
  “Ah, Miss, here, let me handle those,” she told her, taking the bundle before Meilina could protest. “I’ll bring them to the guest room once they’re finished for you.” Again, before she could protest, she was ushered out of the room. She was tempted to knock and offer to do it herself, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, she headed back outside, sitting on the grass in the garden and watching the birds and clouds fly by. As she watched them, she let her mind drift. She thought back to when she used to live in Palmacosta, working as a maid at the inn, and how she had ended up joining Colette’s Journey of World Regeneration.   
  
  She had overheard them talking about the journey while on an errand to the shops for her boss. She had hurried back to the inn and changed out of her uniform, going to follow them before they left. Lloyd and Colette had both been fine with it, and, after some convincing, Raine had come around to her side too. Ultimately, it was Kratos who didn’t think she had a place in their group, until she was able to prove herself in the fight against Magnius.   
  
  She breathed out a sigh and laid back on the grass, staring up at the sky.   
  
  “To think, if it hadn’t been for that, I never would have ended up here,” she muttered to herself. A few moments passed, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the feel of the sun’s warmth on her skin. She stayed this way for several minutes before a shadow fell across her vision and she opened her eyes.   
  
  “Hm?” She looked up, noticing Sebastian standing over her. He bowed slightly when he noticed her eyes were open.   
  
  “Greetings, Lady Meilina. Master Wilder wanted me to let you know he has gone to visit his sister for the afternoon, but wishes for you to dine with him later this evening,” he informed her. She sat up, nodding a little.   
  
  “Yea, sure,” she replied. She stood up and brushed bits of grass from her clothes. Sebastian gave another bow.   
  
  “Very well; the maids will bring attire for this evening to your room,” he informed her before turning and walking off. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he was already back inside.   
  
  “I’m not too sure how I feel about this...” she muttered to herself, heading inside and up to her room. 


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! The next chapter should be quicker! There are some potential spoilers in this one!   
>  A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.   
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Eight

  Meilina walked into the guest room, pausing when she saw the clothing draped across the bed. She frowned as she looked it over, the frilly white long sleeved top, the long, deep red skirt layered over with a sort of gold fabric and a red bodice above it.   
  
  “He really wants me to wear this?” she asked herself, already knowing she would be uncomfortable; gowns had never been her style. A sigh left her lips as she shook her head and left back to town; she would have to find something to go with it.   
  
  She headed towards the accessories shop, browsing over what they had available. Nothing seemed to match however.   
  
  “Well then...” she muttered to herself, heading off in search of Willow. It had only been about an hour, maybe a little less, since she had last seen her. Certainly her errand had already been taken care of, and hopefully she would be at the inn or somewhere nearby. On her way, she bumped into Regal again.   
  
  “Hello again,” she greeted, waving. He glanced around before nodding to her.   
  
  “Hello, Meilina,” he responded. She raised an eyebrow for a moment, wondering what could be wrong, then she chuckled as she realized; he must have run into Willow.   
  
  “I’m guessing she happened to find you?” she inquired, and he breathed out a small sigh.   
  
  “She did. I forgot how...energetic she is,” he replied, a frown touching his lips. She laughed again and nodded.   
  
  “Yeah, she tends to kinda suck it out of the area if you’re not used to her.”   
  
  As if on cue, the younger girl came into view, her long locks pulled back in a loose ponytail by a bright pink ribbon that matched her shirt. She grinned, her eyes lighting up when she saw Regal, running over their way.   
  
  “Mei! Regal!” she called as she rushed towards the pair, practically jumping towards Regal as she reached them. He looked a little startled, catching her on instinct as she threw her arms around him.   
  
  “I didn’t expect to run into you again!” she exclaimed, smiling towards Meilina as Regal gently tried to pry her off him.   
  
  “I’m glad you did, though,” Meilina responded, helping Regal free himself from Willow’s grasp. “Zelos invited me to dinner with him and well... I have to wear this gown and I don’t have anything to wear with it...”   
  
  Willow’s attention was suddenly completely focused on Meilina as she nodded, grabbing her hand and tugging her along. Meilina waved over her shoulder towards Regal, who nodded in her direction. 

*** * ***

  Willow pulled Meilina into the room she was staying in at the inn, almost immediately rummaging through her bags.   
  
  “What color is this gown?” she asked, moving clothes aside. A knee length, pink and black dress was tossed onto the bed along with a pink bathing suit.   
  
  “It’s white, red and gold,” Meilina responded. Willow paused in her digging, looking thoughtful for a moment.   
  
  “Aha! I have the perfect thing!” she finally exclaimed, getting back into the bags and producing a delicate gold chain with a small ruby hanging from it. “And look, a matching bracelet and earrings!” she added, pulling them out. Before Meilina could say anything, Willow was already hooking the chain around her neck.   
  
  “Are you sure it’s okay?” Meilina finally managed, and Willow nodded.   
  
  “Perfectly fine! They look great on you, actually,” she replied. Meilina blushed a little and looked in the mirror. The gold chain and the ruby stood out well against her pale skin.   
  
  “You know, I think you should actually keep them,” Willow insisted after a minute. “They don’t look that good on me.”   
  
  Meilina turned to her friend, raising an eyebrow.   
  
  “You’re serious?” she asked, and Willow nodded.   
  
  “Completely. Just let me know how your dinner date goes,” she told her with a wink, and Meilina felt her face go bright red.   
  
  “It’s not a-”  
  
  “Oh, come on,” Willow interrupted, placing her hands on her hips. “It’s a date and you know it! He even formally invited you!”   
  
  Meilina looked away and cleared her throat.   
  
  “A-anyway, I have until this evening, so... anything else you think I should add?” she asked. Willow grinned. 

*** * ***

  When Willow had finished with Meilina, her hair had been slightly curled and pinned back with a ruby red barrette with a little gemstone flower on one side, her lips had been painted in a pale pink color, and Willow had insisted on buying her shoes to go with the dress after she’d seen it. They’d been a pair of heels, covered in a soft fabric with a tie around the ankle. She looked herself over in the mirror, feeling completely out of place in the gown.   
  
  “I certainly hope he likes it,” she muttered to herself before walking out of the room, holding the skirt up slightly so she didn’t step on it. Not being used to heels, she found herself a little wobbly. Luckily, Sebastian was at the bottom of the stairs and hurried to help her.   
  
  “Lady Meilina, Master Wilder and his guest are waiting for you in the dining room,” he announced. She raised an eyebrow; she hadn’t been aware there would be a guest, and she began to wonder who it could be. When Sebastian opened the door to reveal the pair, Meilina was surprised to find a young girl sitting in the room with Zelos. She had pale red hair, and bright blue eyes much like her older brother’s. Her complexion was pale and she looked small under the large hat she wore. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Meilina. Zelos, however, looked somewhat shocked. Meilina gave him a nervous wave as he stood and walked over.   
  
  “Well, don’t you look gorgeous,” he told her after a moment with a grin. He was dressed in a white suit with a black and white dress shirt, his hair held back in his usual white headband. He took her hand, leading her over to the table and pulling out her chair for her. She gave a little curtsey before sitting down, him joining her a moment later.   
  
  “Mei, you remember my sister, Seles?” he introduced. She nodded a little; it hadn’t been that long ago they’d met her to retrieve his Cruxis Crystal.   
  
  “I do. It’s nice to see you again,” she told her, smiling. The trio made small talk until dinner arrived, Meilina asking Seles how she had been since the worlds reunited, along with other things, though Seles didn’t seem eager to talk to her. Eventually the conversation died out, and Zelos excused himself for a moment to get another drink. When he was out of the room, Seles turned to Meilina and glared.   
  
  “Stay away from my big brother,” she warned. “He doesn’t need girls like you in his life.”   
  
  Meilina took a sip of the wine in front of her and frowned.   
  
  “You almost sound like Alexia when you say that. And isn’t it up to him who he wants in his life?” she responded. Seles went to respond, but before she could, Zelos had returned.   
  
  The rest of the dinner went on with the trio once again making small talk, Seles making it clear to Meilina exactly how she felt about her. Eventually Meilina sighed and stood up.   
  
  “I think I’m going to go turn in for the night. I’m feeling a little tired,” she told him, walking over and pecking his cheek, then bidding good night to Seles before heading upstairs and back to the guestroom. 


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.   
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Nine

  The next morning, Meilina woke up and stretched, moving to get dressed when she noticed a little note on the pillow next to her. She frowned and picked it up, fearing for a moment that it was from Seles or that she had upset Zelos. Instead, neither seemed to be the case, and she found a smile forming on her lips as she read it over.   
  
  _“Mei,_  
  
  I’m glad you joined us for dinner last night. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!   
  
  ~Zelos”   
  
  She set the note aside and got out of bed, checking the bandage on her abdomen. It was slightly red around the cut, but didn’t look infected and while it and her back ached, she was becoming used to it. She gathered her clothes and dressed before fixing her hair, frowning when she noticed the ends were still curled from the night before. After a moment of fussing with it, she sighed and headed down the stairs. She paused midway when she found Zelos dressed in his green and white suit he had worn to the dinner party for rescuing the princess. She watched him for a moment, frowning before speaking up.   
  
  “Seems like you have something going on today?” she asked, walking the rest of the way down the stairs. He looked her way and gave her a half smile before letting out a little chuckle.   
  
  “I have to go and meet with Alexia today,” he told her. Her frown deepened when she felt a pang of jealousy pierce her heart.   
  
  “Oh, I see,” she told him, then forced a smile in hopes he wouldn’t catch on. “Well, have a good time. I’m going to check around town again.”   
  
  She went to brush past him but he gently caught her wrist.   
  
  “It’s not because I want to, Mei,” he insisted. She nodded before pulling herself free.   
  
  “I know, Zelos,” she replied. “Do what you need to.” Without letting him reply, she headed out the door and into town. 

*** * ***

  Meilina wandered around Meltokio for awhile, unsure what to do with herself. She couldn’t bring herself to shake the jealousy that was still hanging in her chest, even though she knew Zelos wasn’t interested in Alexia that way.   
  
  Before she knew it, she had found herself standing near the castle and the church. She turned to leave, stopping when she heard someone calling her name.   
  
  “Miss Meilina! I was just coming to find you!” the girl from the Coliseum exclaimed, hurrying up to her. “Would you be able to come for training today? I know it’s a bit short notice, but one of the other girls quit a few minutes ago and we need someone to fill in for her.”   
  
  Meilina nodded after a moment, following her towards the Coliseum. She listened as she told her all about her duties she would be learning, glad for the distraction. When they arrived, she got her measurements and retrieved a uniform for her, showing her where she could change. Once she was done, she brought her behind the desk.   
  
  “Now, when someone comes in, you get their name and check this list until you’re used to seeing them. That way you know who is ready to do which battles,” she instructed. Meilina nodded, making mental notes as she continued. Someone walked in and she was instructed to watch.   
  
  “Hello, sir, how can I help you?” she asked. Meilina looked up from the list and paused.   
  
  “I’m here to do some training again,” Ewan told her with a grin, his eyes gliding over to look at Meilina. “Ah, and who is this beautiful recruit?” he purred, taking her hand and kissing it. Meilina narrowed her eyes while the girl introduced her.   
  
  “This is Meilina...Winters, was it?” she asked. Meilina gave a small nod, pulling her hand away and forcing herself to smile.   
  
  “Pleased to meet you...” she muttered. The girl hurried to get something from the back for Ewan and he looked to Meilina with a smirk.   
  
  “I see you’re still around. Just so you know, Zelos is meeting with Alexia today to discuss their wedding plans,” he informed her, leaning close. He studied her, catching the momentary change as she let it sink in; from what he was saying, Zelos still intended to go through with the wedding. She opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off.   
  
  “Don’t look so shocked. You should have known he would never call off marrying her.”   
  
  Before she had a chance to reply, the girl returned and gave him the sword she’d retrieved, then gave him his total before seeing him to the arena. Meilina gritted her teeth; he had to be lying to her. At least, she hoped he was. 

*** * ***

  Meilina arrived back to Zelos’ mansion after she finished working. They’d paid her well for the day; she would have enough to buy the items she’d need to go adventuring again in just a matter of a couple weeks.   
  
  “Let’s see, if I go ahead and pick up some gels in the morning, then head to the Coliseum after...” she muttered to herself, looking up to see Zelos. He smiled to her.   
  
  “There you are. I was wondering where you’d gone,” he told her. She gave him a small smile in return.   
  
  “While I was out today, I was caught by the clerk at the Coliseum, and they needed me to come in for training. If I’m able to work at least three days out of the week, in a couple weeks I can go adventuring again,” she told him. His smile faded slightly, though he did his best to hide it.   
  
  “Oh? That sounds great,” he replied. She gave a little nod, feeling almost disappointed that he didn’t protest.   
  
  “Yeah,” was all she said before heading up the stairs. “I’m going to go and wash up before dinner,” she added, pausing a few steps up. Then she turned away, heading the rest of the way. Zelos watched her disappear into her room before frowning, heading towards the dining room. 

*** * ***

  Several minutes later, Meilina was in the dining room with Zelos, both eating dinner silently. She kept glancing towards him but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. Finally, she set her fork down.   
  
  “What’s wrong?” she demanded. He looked towards her, slightly surprised before putting on a smile.   
  
  “What do you mean? Nothing is wrong at all,” he replied, going back to his meal. She frowned and shook her head.   
  
  “Don’t lie to me, Zelos,” she replied. She stood up from the table and excused herself, heading towards the hallway. “I know you better than that.” 


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I'm working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'm a little rusty on my fanfictions.  
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Alexia Kingston, Ewan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Ten

  Meilina walked into the guest room and threw herself on the bed, sighing as she stared at the window. She thought back over what Ewan had told her earlier as she shifted onto her back and rested the back of her hand on her forehead, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
  “Maybe I should make room in my budget to start staying at the inn,” she muttered to herself. “It might be easier on both of us. That way he can just marry Alexia like he wants to and I can stay out of their way...” She sighed again and grabbed one of the pillows next to her, hugging it.  
  
  “I suppose I’ll tell him in the morning that I’m leaving,” she whispered, turning to get comfortable when she heard a knock on the door.  
  
  “Can I come in?” Zelos called. She sat up, thinking a moment before responding.  
  
  “Yeah.”  
  
  The door opened and Zelos stepped in, leaning against the door.  
  
  “Mind if we go out to the garden and talk for a little bit?” he asked. She nodded, getting up and following him outside. By now the sun was setting, casting the grounds in a red orange glow. He led her through the garden, neither one saying a word for a little while. Finally, when they came to a large tree, he broke the silence.  
  
  “I talked to Alexia today,” he told her. She scowled and looked away.  
  
  “I heard. That guy stopped by the Coliseum and told me all about how you were making wedding plans together today! Let me save you the trouble of letting me down easy, okay? I’ll leave in the morning...”  
  
  She turned before he could respond and hurried in the house, ignoring him calling out to her and trying her best to keep from crying as she went. For some reason, she felt a deep ache in her chest. When she reached the top the stairs and was safely in the guest room, she burst into tears. She managed to click the lock on the door, ignoring the knocking as she buried her face in one of the pillows. Eventually, she ended up falling asleep. 

*** * ***

  Meilina woke up the next morning feeling groggy. The ache in her chest was still there as she got up, washed her face, and made herself presentable. She thought back to the events of the night before and frowned, starting to gather her things. She wrote a quick note, thanking Zelos for his hospitality before she grabbed her bag, unlocking the door and heading out of the guest room. No one else seemed to be awake or home as she managed to slip out the front door unnoticed.  
  
  Once outside, she adjusted her bag and headed to the inn. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she looked back over her shoulder towards the mansion shrinking into the distance as she walked. Part of her worried she’d ruined her friendship with Zelos, and possibly whatever else had been there, but the other part told her it was for the best. He still planned to marry Alexia, and she would just be in the way.  
  
  It took her a bit to get to the inn, but when she did she checked into a room. After she got herself settled in, she changed into the uniform for the Coliseum and headed off towards it. 

*** * ***

  Zelos woke up and went to check on Meilina. He had tried several times through the night, worried when he’d heard her crying. This time when he knocked and received no answer, he opened the door. He was surprised when it was unlocked, until he saw all of Meilina’s things gone and saw the note left on the dresser. He walked over and picked it up, reading over it.  
  
_“Zelos,_  
  
  I appreciate everything you’ve done for me these past few days. It really helped me out a lot, so thank you. I’ve decided it’s time for me to go, though, so you can be with Alexia like you want to. I had a lot of fun staying here, and I’m sorry for yelling at you last night. I hope to see you again someday, and I wish you all the best in the meantime.  
  
  Sincerely,  
  
  Meilina”  
  
  He frowned, crushing the paper slightly as he clenched his fists. She’d left him, just like the others had, and it was all over a misunderstanding. He read over the note once again and shook his head; he wasn’t going to let it end like this. Not this time.  
  
  A few minutes later, and Zelos was out the door, on his way to find Meilina. 

*** * ***

  Alexia walked through the streets of Meltokio, on her way to see Zelos. She had only a few days left to ensure he went through with the wedding, after all, and then from there it would be smooth sailing. As she headed up the stairs towards the castle, she spotted him. She put on her best smile and walked up to him, stopping him in his tracks.  
  
  “Zelos! I was just on my way to see you!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. He gave her a small smile in return.  
  
  “I was hoping we could discuss some plans for the wedding today. You seemed so distracted yesterday when we spoke, I didn’t get a chance to bring it up!” she added cheerfully when she released him. He averted his gaze for a moment.  
  
  “Alexia...” he began as she grasped his hands with a grin on her face.  
  
  “I was thinking we could have a horse drawn carriage to take us off after the ceremony, and doves to release as well. And we could hire the best musician-”  
  
  He cut her off by lightly pressing a finger to her lips.  
  
  “Alexia, listen...” he began. She frowned, tilting her head a little.  
  
  “What is it?” she asked when he didn’t continue. He still didn’t meet her gaze.  
  
  “I can’t marry you,” he told her finally. She laughed, stepping back.  
  
  “Of course you can, why couldn’t you?” she responded. He shook his head.  
  
  “We’d never work out, hunny,” he insisted, before walking past her and heading towards the inn once again. Alexia let out a scream of frustration and stormed off. 

*** * ***

  Meilina had made it to the town center when she spotted Zelos. She quickly looked for a place to hide, but it was far too open, and he saw her before she could run.  
  
  “Meilina!” he exclaimed with a sigh of relief. He walked over to her, hugging her. She went to push him off, but couldn’t bring herself to do so. A moment later, he released her. “I was worried you’d left.”  
  
  “I just went to stay at the inn until I have enough saved up,” she replied. “Shouldn’t you be off planning your wedding with Alexia or something?” she added before she could stop herself. He shook his head.  
  
  “I called it off,” he told her. She looked to him in surprise.  
  
  “But why? I thought-”  
  
  “I don’t love her, I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with her,” he interrupted. She shifted a little.  
  
  “I see. Well, I suppose that’s a pretty good reason,” she replied. Silence fell between them, and she felt her nerves starting to rise. He’d called off the wedding and come to find her. What could that possibly mean? 


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new fanfic I’m working on (at the nudging of a friend.) Here we are, the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed the ride! 
> 
> Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I’m a little rusty on my fanfictions. 
> 
> Tales of Symphonia characters, locations, story, etc are property of Namco and Takumi Miyajima  
> Meilina Winters, Adelaide Wilder, Imogene Wilder, Alexia Kingston, Ethan Hawke and Willow Livingsdale are my OCs

## Chapter Eleven

  Meilina continued to look up at Zelos, her nerves becoming worse by the second. She shifted again, clearly nervous. She’d just found out that he had called off the wedding to Alexia because he didn’t love her. The silence continued on, neither saying a word, and finally Zelos turned to leave. She was still struggling with her nerves, but looking towards him walking away finally snapped something inside her and she felt tears form in her eyes. Everything seemed to hit her at once as she watched him leaving, tears streaking her face; somehow she’d fallen in love with him. She heard someone call his name, and it took her a minute to realize it was her.  
  
  “Zelos!”  
  
  At first she worried he hadn’t heard her, and she held her breath, ready to call out to him again. Even to run after him if she needed to, but instead he turned to face her once again. At first, he looked curious, but his expression quickly turned to concern when he saw she was crying. He walked back over to her quickly.  
  
  “H-hey, don’t cry!” he exclaimed, moving to wipe away the tears. As he got close enough, she threw herself into his arms, breaking down into sobs as she gripped his shirt. He tensed in surprise, unsure how to react at first. As he went to hug her, he heard her speak and froze in his tracks.  
  
  “I love you...”  
  
  Several moments passed, her tears eventually stopping as she looked up towards him. He was still shocked at her words, still unsure of how to react. She took a couple steps back, starting to feel embarrassed and rejected as she looked away.  
  
  “I’m sorry...” she whispered as she went to run. “I-I shouldn’t have...I-”  
  
  She continued moving away for another moment, turning completely away before she felt his gloved hand curl gently around her wrist and tug her back. He pulled her tight against him, causing a startled noise to escape from her before she sniffled softly and cuddled in against him.  
  
  “Zelos...” she whispered, nuzzling into his chest. He gently ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
  “You really do?” he asked softly, and she nodded, moving back so she could look up into his eyes.  
  
  “Yes, I do,” she told him, nodding again. “I’m in love with you, Zelos Wilder.”  
  
  A small smile formed on his lips before he leaned towards her, his fingers still tangled in her hair. When he was only a breath away, he grinned.  
  
  “Ditto,” he whispered. She grinned back and moved her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. He tugged her closer to him, returning the kiss with just as much vigor before pulling away slowly. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. Before she could say anything else, she heard someone clapping, and turned to find Willow grinning brightly, Regal standing nearby.  
  
  “It’s about time!” she exclaimed, hurrying over. “I’m so glad to see the two of you finally together!” She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Meilina laughed a little, slipping her hand into Zelos’ and smiling up at him again.  
  
  “Yeah,” she responded. 

*** * ***

  Five years passed, Meilina moving back in with Zelos permanently after that day. Alexia and Ewan had tried to convince him to change his mind for a few weeks, but eventually gave up. There had been rumors that Alexia had moved off to the rebuilt Luin and Ewan had run off with the Coliseum clerk to Flanoir. A few months after their confessions, Meilina and Zelos had gotten married. Now, Meilina was out in the garden with her hands on her hips, watching two small red haired girls.  
  
  “Adelaide Wilder!” she called out to the one in the tree, the red curls on her head bouncing as she tried to climb higher than the fork at the base. The girl turned her bright green eyes towards her mother, looking surprised.  
  
  “Mama!” she exclaimed, moving to climb down. Meilina shook her head, rubbing her eyes.  
  
  “Aunt Willow and Uncle Regal will be here in a few minutes with little Alicia, and you’re a mess,” she informed her daughter. “Come on, get Imogene and we’ll get you cleaned up.”  
  
  Adelaide nodded and hurried over to her twin sister, tugging her sleeve.  
  
  “Genie, Mama says we have to go inside now,” she told her. They both hurried back over to Meilina after Imogene had gathered her favorite stuffed rabbit.  
  
  “Do we have to?” she asked, sticking out her lower lip. Meilina grinned, nodding.  
  
  “Yes. Maybe you can get Daddy to play tea party with you for a few minutes if you do,” she told her, the young girl immediately brightening as she hurried inside. Meilina took hold of Adelaide’s hand, bringing her in as well, chuckling to herself when she saw Imogene already begging Zelos to play with her and the rabbit. He happily obliged her, walking over to the little table and sitting down with her, patiently waiting while she served him imaginary tea from a pink plastic tea pot. As she led Adelaide to get cleaned up for their visitors, she smiled and sighed happily, glad she had joined Lloyd and the others on their journey when she did, and even happier she hadn’t left Meltokio without visiting Zelos afterwards. 

**_The End_**


End file.
